


No Power In The Verse

by swinggal138



Category: Firefly, Jossverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Firefly Verse, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Romance, Science Fiction, Spaceships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 06:14:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 6,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/909871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/swinggal138/pseuds/swinggal138
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The crew of Serenity picks up two women in distress. One falls for Simon, the other just likes to mess with people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The red-headed pilot sat at the control panel, which was covered with dinosaur toys. He had stopped playing with them for the moment, gazing into the black of space, and thinking of his beautiful wife, Zoe. Suddenly, a light on the panel started blinking.  
“Shun sheng duh gao-wahn...Captain! You might want to come and see this!” he said into an intercom located on the dash.  
A few moments later, a man ran into the cockpit; he was wearing a burgundy shirt, brown pants, and suspenders. His brown hair looked slightly mussed up and he had quite a handsome face.  
“What is it Wash? And it better be urgent because I was in the middle of something very important.”  
Giving the Captain, Malcolm Reynolds, a once-over, Wash replied,  
“You were taking a nap.”  
“Naps are important. So, what is it?”  
“We seem to be picking up a distress signal.”   
“All the way out here?”  
“Apparently.”  
“Well, approach it carefully; could be an Alliance trap.”  
Wash re-directed the ship towards the direction the distress signal was coming from and the Captain was just about to leave when the speaker crackled to life and a female voice came over the air waves.  
“Hello? Is anyone out there? Can anyone hear me?”  
Mal walked over and pressed a button on the consol, replying to the mysterious voice on the other end.  
“Yes. This is Captain Malcolm Reynolds. Who am I speaking to? We received your distress signal. Is everything okay?”  
“This is Captain Anne Forrest. My crew, with the exception of my co-captain, is dead, which includes my mechanic. My ship broke down and without him, I am dead in the air. Can you help us?”  
“Well that depends on what killed your crew.”  
“An infection of the lungs. It spread quickly and we had no way to contain it.”  
“But you and your co-captain didn’t get it?”  
“The infection is one quite prevalent on our home planet; we have an immunity to it.”  
“And just how do I know you’re not Alliance?”  
A long string of Chinese curse words came over the speaker then as Wash jumped back in surprise.  
“Don’t you ever even insinuate that I would be associated with such a traitorous group of..”   
“Alright, alright. You’re not Alliance. Now, what exactly are you looking for me to do about your situation?”  
“You gotta a mechanic?”  
“Yeah, she’s the best one out there.”  
“Well, could we possibly get her to just look at our ship? If she could just repair it enough that we could make it to a near planet, we would greatly appreciate it.”  
“I suppose I could loan her to you, if she is willing that is.”  
Mal removed his finger from the speaker and placed it on the intercom.  
“Kaylee? Would you mind coming to the cockpit please?”  
“Be right there Captain,” a sweet voice responded.  
Moments later, Kaylee appeared in the doorway, dressed in her greasy coveralls and a pink shirt.   
“You wanted to see me Captain?”  
“Yes. We got a ship in distress, broken down. I need you to go look at it, see if there ain’t somethin’ we can do.”  
“Right away, Captain.”  
“Wait a minute,” Mal said, moving to the speaker again, “Anne, was it?”  
“Captain Anne.”  
“Right. So how do I know my mechanic isn’t going to catch this infection?”  
“I assure you, Alice and I have scrubbed this ship clean. We’ve been drifting for awhile; had some time on our hands.”  
“Alright, well I’m sending her aboard now. I know you say you’re immune but I would feel much better if you let my medic take a look at you.”  
“Okay.”  
“I’ll bring you both aboard.”


	2. Chapter 2

Moments later, Anne and Alice were aboard the ship, which they were informed was named Serenity. They both sat in a small examining room, waiting for the doctor to appear. Before long, a man clad in a white shirt and blue vest entered the room. He had black silky hair and a smile that could put anyone at ease; his body definitely wasn’t bad either, which Alice definitely took note of.  
“Hi girls. I’m Simon, the medic on this ship. I hear you had a run-in with a lung infection.”  
“Yes,” Alice spoke up, “Killed our whole crew, save us. We’re immune though.”  
“Well, I’d like to examine you both anyway. But I prefer to do private exams if you don’t mind.”  
Anne volunteered to go first and Alice exited the room. Anne soon emerged and sent Alice in.  
“Hi, I’m Alice,” she said, continuing to admire the doctor.  
“It’s nice to meet you,” he said, taking in her red dress, overlaid with a brown corset. He definitely wasn’t complaining about the way the dress was hugging her curves but,  
“So, I’m going to need you to remove your dress for the exam,” he said, almost looking embarrassed.  
Alice blushed a bit, but obliged. As he examined her, she made small talk in an attempt to make things less awkward.  
“So, your captain seems nice.”  
“He has his moments.”  
“Well, I know Anne and I are extremely grateful for his help, and yours. Who knows how long we would have been drifting if you hadn’t come along.”  
“We are glad to be of assistance. So what exactly is it you do with this vessel of yours?”  
A fire lit in Alice’s eyes as she looked at Simon.  
“Anything we can to piss off that gorram Alliance.”  
Simon practically beamed at her answer. He despised the Alliance ever since they did experiments on his sister and anyone who hated them that much too was okay in his book; even better if that person was a beautiful girl like the one he was examining at the moment. Simon had to stop his thoughts right there.  
“Alright, you and your friend both appear to be in perfect health.”  
“Thank you Simon. It was great to meet you,” Alice said with a smile as she began putting her dress on again. Simon then led Alice to the cockpit and said goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

Once Alice was in her exam, Anne went in search of the captain. Although she hated to impose on his hospitality even more, her and Alice had run out of food days ago and Anne hoped this crew might have some to spare. She finally found Mal and he showed her to the kitchen, leaving her to eat in peace. He honestly wanted to stay with her; she was utterly gorgeous and Mal knew that he could not keep himself a gentleman being in the room alone with her.  
Anne was just finishing her meal and was washing her plate in the sink when she heard the distinct cock of a gun behind her.  
“Who are you and how did you get on this ship?” a gruff voice said behind her.  
She slowly raised her hands above her head and turned around. Standing in the doorway was an incredibly tall, muscular man in a tight brown shirt who was pointing a gun at her chest.  
“Your captain, Mal, knows I am here. Our ship is broken and your mechanic is trying to fix it.”  
“Oh,” the man said, putting his gun away, “Nobody tells me nothin’ around here.”  
“I’m Captain Anne Forrest.”  
“Jayne Cobb,” he said, taking a moment to fully look at the woman in front of him. His eyes wandered over her shapely legs which were barely covered by a jagged gold and black skirt, then took in her chest, which was straining against a white top covered by a brown vest. He finally looked at her hazel eyes and red curly hair. Smiling, he walked over to her.  
“And let me be the first to welcome you aboard our humble vessel. I would be more than happy to show you around.”  
By this point, he had reached her, stepped around the counter, and was staring down at her with one hand on her hip.  
“For example, my bedroom is just down the hall.”  
Anne stared up at the man, a bit taken aback at his forwardness.   
“Wow, you’re quite presumptuous. Lucky for you, it’s been awhile for me and I happen to like a man who goes for what he wants.”  
And with that, Anne grabbed hold of the front of his shirt and pulled his mouth down on hers. It took him a second to realize that his line had somehow worked and he was kissing a beautiful woman. But once it sank in, it didn’t take long for him to wrap both his strong arms around her waist and pull her close, holding her against him while his tongue explored her mouth. Her hands ran along the muscles on his chest and down his arms. While they kissed, he slowly backed her against the wall behind her, pressing his body against her while his hands found their way to her hair, gripping tight. She slipped both her hands behind his neck, starting to pull him deeper into the kiss, when she heard Alice calling her name. Anne broke away from the kiss, slipping past him before he even realized what was happening.  
“Oh, I have to go. Guess we don’t have the best timing. Nice meeting you though.”  
Jayne just stared after her for a moment, processing, before cursing and muttering to himself,  
“I’ll be in my bunk.”


	4. Chapter 4

Anne found Alice in the hall with Mal.  
“Where were you?” Alice asked.  
“Just getting something to eat.”   
“What happened to your hair?”  
“Nothing,” Anne said, attempting to smooth her loose curls.  
Mal gave her an amused look but didn’t comment.  
“So, what’s going on?” Anne asked, attempting to change the subject.  
“Kaylee’s just got back from your ship. She’s waiting in the cockpit.”  
The three of them made their way through the halls and joined everyone in the cockpit; well everyone but Jayne who was still in his bunk.  
“Alright Kaylee, give us an update.”  
“Bad news, I’m afraid.”  
“You can’t fix it?” Anne asked.  
“Oh, I can fix it. Problem is, I don’t have the parts.”  
“What are you saying Kaylee?” asked Mal.  
“I’m sayin’ that our only option is to get parts and bring ‘em here but Reavers will probably get to it ‘fore we can get back.”  
“So,” Anne said, slight sorrow and panic building, “you’re saying we are essentially without a ship now.”  
“‘Fraid so.”  
Anne ran her hands through her hair as Alice sat down hard on a step; they had been with that ship a long time. Combined with the total loss of their crew, it was almost too much to bear. Alice started to tear up and Kaylee automatically went to her and put her arm around her. Anne attempted to hold back her own tears as she asked Mal,  
“So, what are our options?”  
“Well, I can provide both of you transport to the nearest planet. I’d offer you a spot on my crew, but we’ve no need for more captains.”  
“Thank you. A lift to the nearest planet would be more than enough.”  
“We have some spare bunks. Zoe, would you please go get two set up?”  
“Of course, sir.”  
“You can go grab your things and I will show you to your rooms myself.”  
“Thank you again,” Alice said, rising from her spot on the stairs, “You have been more than kind to us.”  
Once they had grabbed a few of their possessions, Mal led them to their rooms which were actually across the ship from each other; Anne’s was with the majority of the crew while Alice’s was next to Simon’s.  
“Anne, you can sleep here. Feel free to explore the ship; kitchen is always open to you. And if you have questions, don’t hesistate to ask.”  
At that moment, a door opened and a man emerged from his room.  
“Jayne, where have you been? We have company. Alice, Anne, this is Jayne Cobb. Alice and Anne will be staying with us for awhile until we can drop them on a near moon.”  
Jayne didn’t say anything; just nodded and brushed past them down the hall.  
“Sorry girls. He’s not always the, shall we say, friendliest person?”  
Alice nodded but didn’t miss the blush that crossed Anne’s cheeks.


	5. Chapter 5

An hour or so later, the girls wandered to the kitchen, the crew having invited them to join them for dinner. Everyone was seated around a table when Anne and Alice came in. The only seats open were next to Simon and Mal. Alice sat next to Simon as they smiled at each other; Anne sat next to Mal and he beamed at her. Jayne was on the other side of her, avoiding her gaze. The crew sat eating when another woman entered. She was dresed in a purple silk gown, her dark, curly hair falling softly around her shoulders; she was breathtakingly stunning.  
“Inara,” the captain greeted her, “glad to see you’re back. We have some company for awhile. I’d like you to meet...”  
“Anne, Alice,” she said, as the girls stood to greet her, “It’s so good to see you both again.”  
“Inara, it has been too long,” Alice said.  
“Wait, you all know each other?” Mal asked.  
Inara turned to him with a sly smile on her face.  
“Yes, I am well-acquainted with both of these lovely women.”  
Inara’s occupation as a professional companion was well-known among the crew and they knew what it generally meant when she was “well-acquainted” with someone. The men in the room exchanged glances as they crossed their legs, attempting to hide what they hoped wasn’t obvious. The only two men who did not seem affected in the same way were Simon and Shepherd Book, although both looked uncomfortable at the implication. Anne looked at the men in the room, enjoying watching them squirm. She was the kind of person who enjoyed making a person feel uncomfortable, especially if that person had a huge ego that she felt should be taken down a notch or two. After a moment, she finally spoke up,  
“We met Inara when a job took us undercover in one of the companion schools. She was actually quite key in the success of it.”  
All three girls smiled proudly and went back to enjoying dinner. The meal continued without much incident. Simon and Alice sat talking, discussing how he became a doctor. Anne was talking with Mal about their histories and how they got into this line of business. While it appeared to be a normal conversation, no one saw what was happening beneath the table. As she conversed with Mal, Anne was slowly running her hand up and down Jayne’s thigh, driving him crazy as he tried to keep it under control; she really did love messing with people. Eventually, Jayne couldn’t take it anymore and stood abruptly from this seat.  
“Gorram devil woman! Quit teasing me!”  
Anne looked at him with wide eyes, then turned to Mal as if for explanation while Jayne stormed out. With feigned innocence, she asked,  
“What was that all about?”  
“Jayne tends to be a might jumpy around new people,” Mal replied, “especially pretty women such as yourself.”  
Anne smiled coyly at him, flattered by his compliment. Everyone returned to their meals as Wash muttered under his breath,  
“And we thought River was the crazy one.”


	6. Chapter 6

Later that night, Anne lay in her bunk, unable to sleep. She eventually got restless and decided to wander the ship. As she climbed out of her chambers and started down the hallway, she noticed that the light in Jayne’s bunk was still on; a plan formed in her mind. She approached the door and knocked quietly. Movement sounded from below and Jayne emerged, surprised at who he found standing there.  
“What do you want? You come to tease me some more?”  
“No. I just thought you might like to finish what we started in the kitchen. But,” she said, beginning to walk away, “if you’re not interested, I can just leave.”  
“Don’t even think about it,” he said, grabbing the back of her dress and causing her to fall from the ladder and into his room. He caught her and promptly placed her on the bed. In seconds, he was on top of her, kissing her, tongue exploring her mouth again. She ran her hands down his back, running them under his shirt before quickly removing it. He bit her lip then travelled down her neck, alternating biting and sucking on it. His hands found their way to the back of her dress, looking for the means to take it off.  
“Gorram. Woman, if you don’t tell me in two seconds how to remove this, my knife will not hesitate to find a method.”   
She pushed him off her for a moment, quickly pulling the garment over her head, then pulling him back down to her for another ravenous kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

Anne awoke early in the morning, despite being worn out from the night before. Granted, she had definitely worn Jayne our far more. Jayne, who at the current moment, had his arms wrapped tightly around her and was snoring away. She was wide-awake though and decided to wander the ship rather than just lay in bed. Slowly, she extracted herself from his arms, dressed, and decided to head for the kitchen in search of coffee. As she was climbing the ladder out of Jayne’s bunk, Mal happened to be leaving his bunk as well, which was right across the hall. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Anne. She quietly closed the door and turned to smile at him.  
“Ya know, I don’t believe that was the bunk assigned to you.”  
“No, I don’t reckon it is,” she replied, flashing the captain another smile and heading off down the hallway. His eyes followed her until she vanished around the corner.  
Anne entered the kitchen to find Kaylee already sitting there; she poured herself a cup of coffee and joined the mechanic. They were silent for a moment when Kaylee finally spoke up.  
“I’m real sorry ‘bout the loss of your ship.”  
“Thanks.”  
“I know if anything ever happened to Serenity, I’d be beside myself.”  
“Yeah, it’s a hard loss; Alice and I have been with her awhile.”  
“So what’s your story anyways? I ain’t never seen co-captains, ‘specially female ones.”  
“Alice and I have been friends for a long time. See, we met as little girls when we both became house girls for this horrible Alliance officer. This was after our families had been kidnapped and taken who knows where; neither of us saw them again.”  
“That’s horrible.”  
“Yeah, then after years of traumatizing treatment from the officer, we formed a plan of escape. One night, we snuck out, bartyred passage to a nearby planet, found a ship, got a crew, and we had been with them ever since. And that’s also why we’re co-captains; our lives were spent in servitude and we vowed to never do that again.”  
“Wow, so that crew was like your family.”  
“Only one we had,” Anne said, trying to hide her sorrow.  
“Well, I wish you could stay on Serenity. We might be an odd group but we’re family; and we could always use more members.”   
“Thank you. But your captain seemed to make it pretty clear there’s no room for us.”  
“Oh, he’s just being grumpy. He’s like that with every girl he likes.”  
“He likes me?”   
“Well yeah! He ain’t been able to take his eyes off ya since you came aboard.”  
“Oh,” Anne said, unsure of how to process the information.  
Both girls sat in silence for awhile when Anne finally asked,  
“Kaylee, would you mind teaching me about engines today? I’d like to be more prepared if anything like this ever happens again.”  
“Sure. I’d be more n’ happy to teach ya.”  
The two girls finished their coffee and headed down to the engine room where Anne spent the remainder of her day.


	8. Chapter 8

When Alice finally awoke, she too headed to find coffee. She poured herself a cup and sat at the table. Before long, Inara walked in, joining Alice at the table.  
“Good morning,” Inara said.  
“Good morning.”  
“I’m sorry to hear about your ship...and your crew; I know how much they meant to you.”  
“Thanks. Yeah, things have gone downhill in the last few months. Very few jobs then this loss. I’ve been so stressed, I’m not sure what to do.”  
“Well, I might have a solution for you. Come to my ship after your coffee; I have a few ideas.”  
Alice nodded gratefully and Inara left the room. She quickly finished her coffee and headed over. Inara greeted her and welcomed her in, closing the door behind her. The next few hours were the most relaxing Alice had ever experienced. The companion gave her a massage and brushed her hair before finally brewing them a pot of tea. They sat sipping their beverages while catching up. Alice had really needed some girl time like this; Anne was great but not exactly the most feminine person. After a few hours, Inara said she needed to look over a few candidates for her next clients. So Alice thanked Inara,  
“I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time.”  
“You are most welcome,” Inara said as Alice closed the door.  
Behind it stood Jayne, who had overheard the exchange. An odd look came over his face as he said,  
“I’ll be in my bunk.”  
Upon leaving Inara’s ship, Alice wandered the halls, deciding who she could hang out with next. As she passed the med bay, she noticed Simon was in there, cleaning and organizing it. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to wander in and talk with him; and she was not complaining about the opportunity to spend more time with the charming and handsome doctor. Alice wandered in as Simon looked up from the spot on the counter he was focusing on; a big smile came across his face as he realized who it was.  
“Hi, hope I’m not bothering you. I don’t really have much to do.”  
“No, you’re not bothering me at all. Please, come in.”  
“So, just cleaning?”  
“Yeah, nothing worse than a dirty infirmary.”  
“Probably doesn’t help with that whole healing the sick and wounded idea.”  
“No, not particularly.”  
Alice looked around, trying to find a place to sit down, but she didn’t want to mess up all his hard work. Seeing her discomfort, Simon commented,  
“Perhaps we should go somewhere more comfortable, less sterile perhaps.”  
The kitchen was somewhat crowded with Mal and Zoe being in what appeared to be a quite serious conversation. With limited options, they ended up in Simon’s bunk.  
“I hope this doesn’t make you uncomfortable. We don’t have to talk in here if you don’t want.”  
“No, here is fine,” Alice said, settling herself politely on his bed.  
He settled next to her, not touching her really, but also not distancing himself for her. The two spent the remainder of the day laughing and talking in his room until the captain fetched them for dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

Later that night, after everyone had gone to their bunks, Anne lay awake, thinking over everything that had happened. She had always been an insomniac and it seemed worse than ever lately. Instead of just laying around in her bed, she decided to go and walk around a bit. Just as she was closing the door to her bunk, Mal was opening the door to his.  
“Evening Captain,” Anne greeted him.  
“Please, call me Mal. You’re up late.”  
“I don’t sleep much.”  
“Yeah, me neither. Would you like to join me for a bit?”  
Anne raised her eyebrow, questioning his intentions but not saying anything.  
“Okay, I could hang out for a bit I guess.”  
She followed Mal down into his bunk and plunked herself down on his bed. He sat down next to her then moved quickly to the chair at his desk, as if he didn’t trust himself to sit next to her in his room, especially on his bed. He turned his chair to face her and smiled.  
“So, you got any good stories from the jobs you been running?”  
“Plenty. This one time...”  
The two of them talked until the early hours of the morning. Anne finally started getting tired and made her way back to her bunk. Mal took off his dirty clothes from the day and climbed into his own bed, his mind on the beautiful captain that had just left his room.


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days proceeded about the same for Anne and Alice. Alice spent her days talking with Simon about books and history, things he never had anyone to talk about with. He told her all about his sister and she talked about her experience in the Alliance officer’s house. One day, as they were sitting and talking, River walked in after she had been playing with Kaylee.   
River eyed Alice for awhile, looking her over, before she finally said,  
“She likes you. Don’t screw it up,” and walked out of the room.  
Alice and Simon exchanged awkward looks, both blushing bright red.   
“My sister doesn’t have much filter,” Simon explained after a moment. They both laughed and continued their conversation, although they both subconsciously moved closer to each other on the bed.  
Anne spent her days talking to various members of the crew. One day she would spend time with Kaylee in the engine room and another she would be talking to Inara about the art of being a companion. At one point, she ended up talking with Wash, having him show her how to fly the ship in case she ever had need of the knowledge. However, Zoe got a bit uncomfortable having such a beautiful woman spending time alone with her husband so she decided to remind him who he was married to, grabbing him by the shirt and dragging him with her into their quarters.  
“Wait...Wash...I don’t know how to fly...” Anne called after him, but he was too distracted to hear her.  
So, she sat nervously, praying there wouldn’t be much need for her to actually navigate the large ship. After awhile, Mal came into the cockpit,  
“Wash, I...where’s Wash?” he asked, looking around to find his pilot nowhere.  
“Zoe got a bit jealous and is...distracting...him.”  
“Huh choo-shung tza-jiao...okay. You have any idea what you’re doing?”  
“He taught me a bit before vanishing.”  
“Well, we should be fine for now. We’ll be landing on a planet day after tomorrow. You and Alice are free to go find a ship of your own.”  
“Thanks. We greatly appreciate your hospitality.”  
“It’s not a problem. We’ve loved having you aboard. Plus, Simon seems to enjoy having someone to talk to; it’s nice to see him smiling for once.”  
“Yeah, I know Alice has enjoyed spending time with him.”  
“How does she handle the sister situation?”  
“Great, actually. River has really taken a liking to her.”  
“Wow, she must be something then.”  
“She is. I don’t know anyone better.”  
“I do” Mal uttered his breath.  
“What?” Anne asked him.   
“Nothing. I’m going to go see to some business...elsewhere...on the ship.”  
“Okay. Umm...usual time tonight?”  
“Yeah.”  
Anne watched the captain exit the cockpit, taking a second to appreciate how amazing his ass looked in his brown pants. She knew Kaylee had said Mal liked her but, if that was true, he was horrible about showing it. And that didn’t sit well with her, honestly. If life had taught her anything, it was to be direct and she didn’t have time for anyone who lacked courage to express their feelings. Putting the captain out of her mind, she focused her gaze back out into the black, contemplating what her and Alice should do once they reached that planet.


	11. Chapter 11

Finally, Serenity set down on the planet; it was a small one for sure, went by several names, mostly invented by the locals, but it had the supplies they needed. The crew split up; Anne went with Mal to get supplies, Wash and Zoe stayed on the ship, Inara was at an engagement, Book was taking care of River, Jayne stayed in his bunk, and Simon went to explore with Alice. They all agreed to meet back on the ship tomorrow afternoon, giving everyone time to accomplish what they needed. Once Alice and Simon explored, which didn’t take long, they found a local bar and decided to stop in for some food and drink. They ate then drank for hours, eventually the alcohol taking effect in their bloodstream. As it got later, the two of them decided to wander back to Serenity to sleep it off. Arms around each other, they walked back, leaning on each other for support, smiling and laughing the whole way. They finally got back and walked through the common area and towards their rooms.   
“Alice...”Simon slurred, “Do you want to come hang out for a bit?”  
“I’d like that,” she said, hugging him.  
They both clumsily climbed the ladder down into his bunk and they both collapsed, laughing, on the bed. Eventually, they managed to sit up again, but Simon kept his arms around her. Both of them were silent for a bit, when the drunk doctor finally broke the silence,  
“Alice, I like you.”  
“What?” she asked, pushing herself up enough to look into his face.  
“I like you; I have since the moment I first examined you.”  
Alice gave him a weird look but didn’t really comment on his phrasing.  
“I mean...you’re beautiful and smart and funny. You’re really good with my sister. And you’re beautiful.”  
“You already said beautiful,” she said, beaming at him.  
“Well that’s how much I mean it; I needed to repeat it.”  
“Well, I think you’re handsome. And I like you too. I have since I first saw you.”  
“Really? No girls ever like me.”  
“Well that’s just silly because you are incredible. And smart. And did I mention handsome?”  
“You did, but I don’t mind hearing it again,” he said, leaning his head down towards her. But then he stopped.  
“What’s the matter?” Alice asked.  
“Well, I really want to kiss you right now.”  
“So why aren’t you? I want you to.”  
“Okay,” he said, leaning his head back down and pressing his lips against hers. His kiss was soft and innocent as she kissed him back. His hand moved to behind her neck and pulled her closer while her hand ran up his back. When they finally broke apart, they looked at each other for a moment.  
“You’re a good kisser,” Simon said, leaning towards her again, but the alcohol in his blood made his aim a bit off and he landed face-down on the bed as Alice burst into a fit of giggles.  
“You’re a good kisser too,” she said, “but maybe we should get some sleep.”  
“That’s a great idea!” Simon said, pulling her down with him and wrapping his arms around her. They were both asleep in an alcohol-induced coma within minutes.  
The next morning, Simon slowly woke up, looking down at the girl in his arms. He couldn’t help but beam down at her, placing a kiss into her hair as she slept. As he attempted to settle back down and go back to sleep, she woke up too. After figuring out where exactly she was, she rolled over so she could face Simon.   
“Good morning,” she said.  
“Good morning.”  
Both of them looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before Simon leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.  
“I hope that was okay,” he said.  
“Of course it was okay. I guess I just didn’t expect it. What you said last night, you really do like me? It wasn’t just the alcohol talking?”  
“Of course not. I mean, I’m sober now, aren’t I?” he said, leaning in to kiss her with more passion. His one hand found its way behind her neck to pull her close while the other stroked up and down her back as he kissed her. Her hands found their way to his hair and began playing with it as his tongue began exploring her mouth. They lay there, just kissing and cuddling for hours, when they heard a loud knock on the door, making them both jump.   
“Simon?” Mal’s voice asked, “Are you in there? And have you seen Alice?”  
Both of them scrambled off the bed, grabbing some clothing which had been lost in the process. After glancing in the mirror to fix their hair, Simon emerged, followed shortly by Alice. Mal just looked at them,  
“What is it with you and Anne that you both don’t stay in your gorram bunks?”  
Alice just flashed a smile at him, sneaking past him, holding Simon’s hand and dragging him with her.  
Mal just shook his head and followed them into the common area. He showed everyone the supplies he and Anne had picked up. He was just about to show Alice and Anne off the ship when Simon spoke up,  
“Um...Captain...may I have a word with you in private?”  
“Alright.”  
The two disappeared for awhile and finally re-appeared, Simon absolutely beaming at Alice.  
“Well,” the Captain began, “it seems we will have a new permanent member of our crew seeing as how our beloved medic got himself a girl. Alice, welcome aboard.”  
Everyone applauded and Kaylee ran over to hug both of them; she had had her time with Simon but it just never worked out and she was happy to see him with someone who made him happy. Anne sent a smile over to her best friend before turning to Mal,  
“Captain, what about me?”  
“Well, I would never send you off the ship without your best friend. You’re staying too, if you want to, that is.”  
“I would love to,” Anne said, beaming.  
Everyone welcomed the two new crew members and they went off to enjoy some of the new food supplies that had been purchased before Wash took off again, Mal having acquired a new job during his time on the planet.


	12. Chapter 12

Days passed quickly on Serenity, Anne and Alice becoming easily integrated as part of the crew. Anne and Mal spent a lot of time together, her helping him with the new job; most of their nightly conversations consisted of planning now. Alice and Simon were easily becoming more adorable than Zoe and Wash, if that was possible, although quite a bit more affectionate as Simon lavished attention on her and she gave it right back.   
One day, Alice was helping him clean up the med bay, scrubbing counters and sterilizing tools, when she felt Simon come up behind her and slip his hands around her waist, stroking up and down her sides as he placed a kiss on her neck. He turned her around so she was facing him,  
“You know, I never told you, but this red dress makes me a bit weak at the knees. It is proving to be quite a distraction while I clean.”  
“Oh really? And do you have a solution for this distraction, doctor?”  
“I might have a cure,” he said, leaning down to kiss her passionately.  
The kissing soon grew more heated and Simon quickly had Alice back against the counter, pressing his body into her as his tongue explored her mouth, his hands on her hips. Alice ran her hands slowly up his chest, exploring the muscles she found there as she slowly removed the vest he was wearing and began undoing the buttons underneath. They continued kissing as one of Simon’s hands slid its way back up to her chest while the other stroked over a spot on Alice’s back that he knew drove her crazy. She gasped a bit and gripped his hair before returning her hands to her work on his buttons. Alice almost had the shirt off when a loud throat clear made both of them jump. Standing in the doorway was Jayne, clearly looking for a bandage for a cut on his hand. He stared at the couple for a second, grabbed a bandage, and awkwardly left the room.  
“I’ll be in my bunk,” they heard him say as he disappeared around the corner.  
Both of them looked at each other and laughed. Then Simon dipped his head down again to kiss his girl, saying as he pulled away,  
“And I think you should be in my bunk...like, now.”  
They both quickly hurried out of the infirmary and down the hall.


	13. Chapter 13

Later that night, Anne sat in Mal’s room again, working on tactics for the next job they were doing. Mal was actually sitting on the bed with her this time as they went over drawings and such. Eventually, they finally figured out a plan and Anne set down the sketchbook she was holding. There was an awkward pause as they both sipped on the drink Mal had poured them. Finally, Mal broke the silence,  
“Why did you sleep with Jayne that first night on my ship?”  
“What?”  
“I just wanna know.”  
“Why? Does it bother you?”  
“Maybe a bit.”  
“Well, if you must know, I liked how forward he was. He told me what he wanted and it was refreshing. I like a man who goes after what he wants; I don’t have time for a man who doesn’t say what’s on his mind.”  
“So, if I had made a move, you would have been with me that night?”  
“Maybe...probably.”  
“What if I wanted more than just to sleep with you?”  
“You mean like a relationship?”  
“Yeah, something like that.”  
“Well, you would have to actually ask me, tell me what you want.”  
“Alright...and what if I’m askin’ right now? What would your answer be?”  
“Are you asking or aren’t you?”  
“I am.”  
“Then, my answer is yes. Malcolm Reynolds, I have been waiting for you to make your move since the first day I got here; what took you so long?”  
“Well, I don’t rightly know, but I say what’s past is past. So...you’re my girlfriend now?  
“Yes, it looks that way.”  
“And do I get to kiss my girlfriend?”  
“That would be the general idea, yes.”  
Mal wasted no time closing the gap between them, pressing his lips against hers. She returned the kiss with passion, her hands running through his hair while one of his gripped behind her neck as the other wrapped around her to pull her closer, until she was practically sitting on his lap. They kissed each other like they had finally been given a green light on something they both were waiting on. Mal’s lips finally left Anne’s and began kissing and biting their way down her neck.  
“Captain,” she whispered in his ear, noticing how his body reacted when she used that term, “there is one more thing I except you to do if you want me as your girlfriend.”  
“And what is that?” he said into the skin on her collarbone, as he nipped at her.  
“Bed me...now...,” she said into his ear as she took his earlobe into her mouth and sucked on it.  
With a string of Chinese curse words, he pushed her down onto the bed, her hands pushing down his suspenders and working to undo the buttons on his shirt.


	14. Chapter 14

The next day, everyone was in the cockpit, discussing their next move for the job since they would be arriving at their destination the next say. Alice was in Simon’s lap and they exchanged the occasional kiss, pretending that no one noticed. Mal and Anne were arguing back and forth.  
“That is not the plan we came up with,”Anne said.  
“Well, I decided to change the plan,” Mal responded.  
“It’s a stupid change!”  
“Hey, just because you’re my girl now don’t mean you get to be captain too.”  
Everyone exchanged a quick look of surprise; this was the first they had heard of Anne being Mal’s girl.  
“I’m your co-captain though.”  
“Since when?”   
Anne just gave him a look that told him he already knew the answer to that question.  
“We need to stick with the original plan if we want to complete the job on time.”  
“Fine,” Mal conceded, knowing she was right, “My girl does know what she’s talking about,” he said as he planted a quick kiss on her lips.  
“Gorram straight I do.”  
“Wash,” the captain said, “you think you got it?”  
“It’s all shiny captain. Let’s do this thing.”


End file.
